Pensioner, 66, is wrongly fined £150 for littering after he went to feed the geese on the park

A 66-year-old pensioner suffered ‘sleepless nights’ from being wrongly fined £150 for littering after he went to feed the geese on the park. 

William Varnham visited Watermead Nation Park in Leicester together with his spouse and 99-year-old disabled aunt to feed the animals with appropriate hen seed from a plastic container. 

The household then received again into their van parked just a few yards from the designated duck-feeding space and went dwelling. 

Mr Varnham was left shocked just a few days later when a £150 tremendous for littering from Leicester Metropolis Council landed on his doormat accusing him of throwing ‘crumbs’.

William Varnham, a 66-year-old pensioner, suffered ‘sleepless nights’ after he was wrongly fined £150 for littering following a visit to Watermead Park to feed the geese. He carried the feed in a plastic container

The council added it has an issue with ‘large quantities of meals’ being supplied to the birds in metropolis parks and instructed Mr Varnham in a letter that fastened penalty notices will be issued to mitigate ‘incorrect behaviour’.

However Mr Varnham, who has volunteered as a littler picker himself in his dwelling city of Melton, was outraged and says they did completely nothing incorrect.

He instructed LeicestershireLive: ‘I had been getting ready to be taken to court docket over this. It was one of many worst weeks of my life – I had sleepless nights. 

When the council fined Mr Varnham it added that it has an issue with ‘large quantities of meals’ being supplied to the birds in metropolis parks and instructed the pensioner in a letter that fastened penalty notices will be issued to mitigate ‘incorrect behaviour’. Pictured: Birds at Watermead Park

‘We did what we normally do. We drove to the park and received a disabled bay which was yards from the designated bird-feeding space. I fed the birds with correct hen feed which I carry from my dwelling, walked again to my van with my plastic container after which sat with my spouse and aunt and loved a cup of tea whereas we watched the geese.’

Mr Varnham is adamant that he solely threw hen seed for the geese and he by no means provides them bread as a result of he is aware of it’s unhealthy for them. 

He then contacted the town council to attraction in opposition to the tremendous and says he turned extra anxious and upset whereas he was ready for a response.

Mr Varnham defined that he solely feeds the geese in a chosen feeding space and being fined £150 brought about him a substantial amount of stress

‘My spouse and I are retired – we’re in a cost-of-living disaster – I could not afford to pay £150. I used to be so nervous that my 99-year-old aunt supplied to pay the tremendous,’ he mentioned. 

Mr Varnham added he vaguely recalled a park warden van parked close by as he was having fun with his afternoon within the park. He mentioned: ‘What I believe occurred is that the park warden noticed some bread or one thing on the ground, noticed me and my empty container and put two and two collectively.

‘But when he believed he had seen me littering, why did not he method me there after which – reasonably than ship me a set penalty discover? What number of different individuals will this occur to?’

William Varnham visited Watermead Park together with his spouse and 99-year-old disabled aunt to feed the animals. He was {accused} of dropping bread crumbs from a plastic container from his automotive whereas parked on a disabled spot

The pensioner ended up emailing the town council twice to attraction in opposition to the tremendous and in addition referred to as them to verify the authority received his emails. The council finally wrote again to quash the fastened penalty discover and admitted the evidential notes from the officer did ‘not clearly reveal an offence to the [expected] stage’.

Nonetheless, the council added the officer was ‘not incorrect of their actions’ after they determined to tremendous him. Mr Varnham, who believed the council used the quantity plate of his van to trace him down, mentioned the council have ‘referred to as his honour into query’ and he fears different harmless park guests might fall foul of the identical remedy.

A spokesperson for Leicester Metropolis Council mentioned: ‘Not solely does over-feeding have an effect on the ecosystem of the park, it additionally attracts rats.’ [File image] 

A spokesperson for Leicester Metropolis Council mentioned: ‘Mr Varnham’s tremendous was cancelled on attraction and we apologise for any misery brought about.

‘We’ve got an issue with large quantities of meals being put down for birds on a number of of our parks, and we’ve got indicators in place throughout our parks – together with at Watermead – advising individuals of the affect this has and warning them they could face a set penalty tremendous in the event that they accomplish that.

‘Not solely does over-feeding have an effect on the ecosystem of the park, it additionally attracts rats, and our floor employees must spend time clearing up the surplus meals deposited.’